Tables & field types — Know when to split a table (2)

• Two distinct lifecycles. If some rows run "Open → In progress → Won → Lost" and others run "Draft → Submitted → Paid," they follow different state machines and belong in different tables, even when they share a few fields. To split safely: create the new table with its unique fields, add a relation back to the original if they stay connected, move the rows with filter → Export CSV → import, update any reports that pointed at the old table, then soft-delete the moved rows (they wait in the Trash if you need them). And resist the urge when it isn't warranted — if two kinds of row share most fields and the same lifecycle, a Select field is plenty. The test: would you write different paragraphs about them?